1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a self-diagnosis method and apparatus for automatically diagnosing the operating state of a bank note depositing and dispensing machine thereby predicting the occurrence of any trouble in need of maintenance for preventing it in advance, and more particularly to such a self-diagnosis method and apparatus suitable for the application to an automatic transaction apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Conventionally, this type of apparatus has been maintained by breakdown maintenance. Namely, when any malfunction was produced in the apparatus, a defective portion was retrieved and repaired, or parts thereof were exchanged. Such maintenance will here be described with regard to a bank note depositing and dispensing machine of an automatic transaction apparatus. The bank note depositing and dispensing machine has depositing functions of separating deposited bank notes one by one, judging at a bank note judgement unit whether or not the bank note concerned is genuine and discriminating the denomination of the bank note, and furthermore housing such bank note in a corresponding bank note housing part. Such machine also has a dispensing function of dispensing bank notes in the opposite direction to the depositing position. Such a bank note depositing and dispensing machine is likely to produce malfunctions such as jamming, incorrect discrimination and the like due to slanted and overlapped feed of bank notes and abnormal sensors serving to discriminate the bank notes. The slanted and overlapped feed of bank notes may sometimes be caused by wear and improper adjustment of a separation roller, and abnormal judgement by the sensor may be produced because of change thereof with time and adhesion of dust thereto. The prior maintenance procedure eliminates such troubles only upon occurrence thereof.
It is, however, of course, undesirable to have the operating efficiency and reliability of the apparatus limited to such extent. For example, when an automatic transaction apparatus in the banking system is stopped for maintenance whenever any trouble is produced, this not only is undesirable relative to service to customers, but also brings about insufficient operating efficiency and reliability to the banking organization.